Air outlet device



F. J. KURTH ETAL AIR OUTLET DEVICE Filed March 13, 1942 Afr@ 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 www ICUJ'L, mdrllcz/Honerkcunp, Benno eten, l Herbert ICICLmrL, @M Q E Feb. 13, 1945. F, J.\-KURTH `rs'l'Al.

KIR yOUTLET DEVICE Filed `Manja-h 1:5, i942 3 sheets-sheet s ik, V

rkamp 7D,

Beraw Poeie Herbert IC.

Paienledi-ea 13, 1945 2,369,303 lcE AIR OUTLET DEVICE .Franc J. Kurth,

Friedrich Honerkamp, Poeten, and Herbert K. Kunen, New

, Benno York,

N. Y., assignors to` Anemostat Corporation of America, Delaware New York, N. Y., a corporation of i Application Mathis,1942,serialNo.4a4,eo2

` (cl. els-41) 11 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of ventilation, and has particular reference to improvements in outlet devices for effecting diffused or substantially draftless delivery of fresh or treated air from air supply ducts into rooms or other enclosures for Ventilating, air conditioning or other purposes.

More particularly, the invention relates to air outlet devices of the general type comprising any desired number of flaring members arranged to cooperate with each other to provide therebetween any desired number of flaring passageways through which supplied air flows, whereby diffusion and substantially draftless delivery of the supplied air is obtained, and the object of the invention, generally speaking, is to provide'an air outlet device of this general type having embodied therein simple, practical means for adjustment to regulate iiow of supplied air to and throughthe device. l

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in an air outlet device of the general type mentioned embodying the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying draw# -ings and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein are illustrated different practical embodiments of the invention and wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in related views:

Figure 1 is a central, vertical section through an air outlet device constructed in accordance with one practical embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 1 illustrating other practical embodiments of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, first with particular reference to the specic embodiment of the device illustrated in Figs. `1 and 2, I0 designates a larger or outermost, open-ended,

plan viewv of the'device shown in hollow, flaring member to be connected in any suitable manner at its upper, smaller end to an air supply duct, and II `designates a smaller fiaring member spaced inwardly from said member I to provide between said members an openended, flaring passageway a for ow of supplied air through and from the device. In this connection and according to the specific embodimenty of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the member II is hollow and is open at its ends for flow of air therethrough. It isto be understood, however, that the member I I may be solid instead of hollow and, if hollow, may, if desired, be closed at either or both ends.` Also, it is to be understood that instead of the device including only a single smaller flaring member Il, it mayinclude a series of any desired number of succes-` sively smaller, open-ended flaring members II 4 spaced successively inwardly of one another to provide therebetween a series of any desired numwith an air supply duct.

` either as an integral part of the neck `disk I4 and is berof open-ended flaring passageways for flow of supplied air through the device. In any event, because of delivery of the supplied air through either a single flaring passageway, or through a plurality of flaring passageways, its velocity is reduced and it is delivered from the device in diffused form, with the result that any `sensation of draft largely is eliminated. In fact, if the device includes a series of successively smaller flaring members, these members may be constructed and arranged in accordance with the teachings of F. J. Kurth Patent N o.` 2,142,134, of January 3, 1939, to provide for the supplied air producing an aspirating or recirculation flow of air through the device, thereby to promote diffusion of the supplied air and further to eliminate any sensation of draft.

lAs aforesaid, the larger open-ended flaring member III may be connected at its upper or smaller end'to an air supply duct (not shown)` in any suitable manner. In this connection and as illustrated in the present instance, said member I0 has at its upper end a neck I2 which may be directly connected in any suitable manner On the other hand, and as further illustrated in the present instance, the neck I2 may have attached thereto any auxiliary neck I3 for bayonet-joint connection or connec tion in any other suitable manner with an air supply duct. In any event, and in'further accordance with the invention, a disk I4 is formed I2, or as a part separate from said neck and attached thereto in any suitable manner, and extends across said neck and is provided with any desired number of segmental slots or openings I5 for iiow of` supplied air therethrough to the passageway a or to the plurality of such passageways, as the case may be. In addition, a second disk I6 is disposed against or adjacent to one face of the provided with segmental slots or openings Il preferably corresponding in number and size to the slots or openings I5 in the disk I4 and is mounted inl any suitable manner for rotatable adjustment relative to the disk I4. Accordingly, by rotatably adjusting the disk I6 its slots or openings Il may be completely or partially alined withor disalined from the slots or openings I 5 in the disk I4 to regulate the amount disk I4 is formed as an indisposed forwardly of the disk I4. Moreover, the disk I4 has formed therein a marginal, annular, downwardly opening channel I8 in which is disposed a ring I9 of felt or other suitable material against which the marginal portion of the disk I6 bears, whereby an air seal is provided between said disks and the disk I6 is rendered easily and noiselessly rotatable relative to the disk I4.

Further in accordance with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the disk I6 is mounted for rotation relative to the disk I4 through the instrumentality of a shaft 20 which is employed for rotatably adjusting said disk I6. The shaft 20 is disposed coaxially of the device and at its upper end is of reduced diameter and thereby is shouldered. Its,

reduced end extends through a central opening i 'in the disk |6 and its shoulder abuts the bottom disk i6.

The stop means referred to comprises in the present instance a washer 2| engaged on the reduced end of the shaft 20 and engaging the top face of the disk I4, and a cotter pin 22 extending through a transverse opening in the reduced end of said shaft above said washer and holding said washer against upward movement relative to said shaft, as well as holding said shaft against downward movement relative to the disk I4. Equivalently, a nut may be threaded on the reduced end of the shaft 20. In any event, the shaft 20 is pinned to the disk I6 or otherwise is suitably engaged therewith so that when said shaft is rotated said disk ||l is required to rotate there-A with. In this connection and as illustrated by way of example in the present instance, the shaft 20, directly above its aforesaid shoulder, is of polygonal shape in cross section and is engaged in a central opening of corresponding polygonal shape in the disk I6. fThus, when the shaft 2|! is rotated, the disk I6 is required to rotate therewith. I

The shaft 20 extends from the disks I4, I6 downwardly through bearing openings in strut or cross members 23 which are employed to mount the flaring member or members II in the flaring member I0, and thereby said shaft is effectively restrained against sidewise movement. More" over, said shaft 20 preferably is provided with a shoulder 24 which bears against the upper face of the uppermost of the strut or cross members 23 whereby it is held against downward movement independently of being held against such movement by the disk I4. In addition, said shaft is provided at its lower end with a knob 25 which is exposed at the bottom of the device for finger manipulation to rotate said shaft and thereby rotate the disk I6, and said knob engages the lower face of the lowermost of the struts or cross members 23 whereby said shaft is held against upward movement. Accordingly, by means of the knob 25 the shaft 20 and the disk' I6 are freely rotatable to rotate the disk I6 and thus the slots or openings I1 in said aline and disaline tegral part of the neck I2 and the disk I6 is disk with and from the slots or openings I5 in the disk I4 to regulate flow of supplied air to the flaring passageway or passageways a. In this connection, suitable stop means preferably is provided to limit rotation of the disk I6 beyond an amount sufficient to completely aline or disaline its slots or openings with and from the slots or openings of the disk I4. Such stop means may be of any desired form and is illustrated in the present instance by way of example as comprising a stop lug 26 extendingfrom the disk I6 into one of the slots or openings I5 in the disk I4 to abut the edges of the disk I4 at the sides of said slot or opening I5 therein.

Referring now particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be observed that the device comprises, in addition to a larger or outermost openended, hollow, flaring member, designated as Illa, a second open-ended, hollow, flaring member, designated as 21, closely nested in said member IIIa and mounted for rotation with respect thereto by having' its marginal portion 28 disposed within an inwardly opening marginal channel 29 of the member I0i formed for example by suitably fastening to the marginal portion of said Amember Illa at the lower side thereof a ring 30 having a flange 3| offset downwardly from said member Illa. To render the member 21 freely and noiselessly rotatable relative to the member I0, rings 30' of felt or the like may be provided in the channel 29 above and below the marginal portion 28 of said member 21.

At the upper ends of the members IIIa and 21 are necks 32 and 33, respectively, the latter of which flts closely within the former, while extending across said necks are disks 34 and 35, respectively, which may be formed either as integral parts of said necks or as parts separate therefrom and fastened thereto in any suitable manner.

In the disk 34 is any desired number of segmental slots or openings 36, while in the disk 35 are slots or openings 31 which preferably are equal in number to and of the same size and shape as the slots or openings 36. Thus, by rotating the member 21, the slots or openings 31 in the disk 35 may be partly or completely alined with or disalined from the slots or openings 36,.

in the disk 34 to regulate the amount of air flowing to and through the device from an air supply duct with which the neck 32 of the member IIIa may be connected in any suitable manner, either directly or through the instrumentality of an auxiliary neck I3a fastened to the neck 32 as in the case of the Figs. 1 and 2 embodiment of the invention.

Carried by the member 21 and spaced inwardly therefrom is one or more flaring members ||a providing within said member 21 one or more Haring passageways a2 as and for the same purpose as the one or more flaring passageways a of the Figs. l and 2 embodiment of the invention.

'I'he member 21 may be directly grasped to effect its rotation or it may be provided with any suitable knob or handle means to facilitate its rotation. Moreover, instead of the member 21 being non-apertured as shown, it may be apertured or in the form of a spider to conserve weight and metal.

' Referring now particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be observed that the device comprises a larger or outermost open-ended, hollow, flaring member IUD; a disk 38 of conical shape attached at its upper or larger end to the member Illb at the smaller or open upper end thereof, and a rotatable disk 39, also of conical shape, disposed within and against the disk 38.

In the disk 38 is any desirednumber of segmental slots or openings 40, while in the disk 39 are slots or openings 4| which preferably are equal in number to and of the same size and shape as the slots or openings in the disk 38. Thus, by rotating the disk 39 4the slots or openings 4| therein may be partly or completely alined with ordisalined from the slots or openings 40 in the disk 38 to regulate the amount of air flowing to and through the devicefrom an air supply Vduct with which the smaller or upper open end of the member Il)b may. be connected in any suitable manner. i

Suitably mounted below the disk 38 is one or more flaring members |b providing one or more flaring passageways a3 as and for the same purpose as the one or more flaring passageways a or a2 of the Figs. 1 and 2 and the Fig. 3 embodiments of the invention.

The disk 39 may be rotatably mounted within the disk 38 in any suitable manner and any suitable means may be provided .for rotating said disk 39. In .this connection and as illustrated by i bers Il)a way of example in the drawings, the disk 39 has a short neck 42 at its lower end journaled in a short neck 43 at the lower end of the disk 38, and a knob or handle44 is fastened to the neck 42 and is disposed below the disk 38 and. has a shoulder underlying the neck 43. Thus, the disk 39 is retained within'the disk 38 and is readily rotatable by the knob or handle 44 which is exposed at the bottom of the device for convenient nger manipulation. If desired, the disk 38 may be provided with pins 45 or,` equivalently, with a rib or the like overlying the upper edge of the disk 39 to retain or to assist in retaining said disk 39 within said disk 38.

The flaring member, or members, ||b may be attached either to the disk 38, as shown, or to the flaring member lub .by means of struts in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 or in any other suitable or desired manner.

A special advantage of disks of conical form as compared with disks of flat form is that for any given disk diameter the disks of conical form permit larger slotsl or openings to be provided therein for flow of supplied air to and through the device.

Referring now particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, it will be observed that the construction is generally the same as the Fig. 4 construction except that the conical, slotted disks, designated as 38a and 39B, respectively, extend upwardly instead of downwardly from the smaller or rear open end of the larger or outermost openended, hollow, flaring member designated as |00.

As is apparent, by virtue of this arrangement,

stantially entirely, above the plane of the -bottom of the member llc, which is of importance in instances Where it is desired not to have the device extend appreciably below a ceiling or equivalent wall upon which the device is mounted.

According to the Figs. 5 and 6 embodiment of the invention, the disk 39 may be mounted of the invention or in any other suitable manner,

and the operating knob or handle 44a for the disk 39a may be connected' with said disk by a shaft 46 which may extend through the smaller flaring member` |c and may be journaled in a suitable bearing member 41 carried by -said smaller flaring member.

Reverting to the, Fig. 3 embodiment of the invention, 41 designates a small housing mounted on the flaring member I03L at the upper side thereof and having a pin 48 slidably mounted therein and projecting through a hole in said flaring member ||Jel into engagement with the flaring member 27, while 49 designates a small spring in said housing 47 between the` top thereof and said pin acting downwardly upon said pin and urging the same into engagement with said flaring mem-ber 21. In this way the flaring memand 21 are held against chattering and, if desired, the flaring member 2l may have depressions to accommodate the pin 48 whereby the latter may serve to hold said flaring member 21 in diierentpositions ofrotative adjustment relative to said flaring member I.

Any desired number of pins 48 located at angularly spaced points may be employed for the purposes stated or said pins maybe eliminated and dependence may be placed in a snug reception of the marginal portion of the flaring member 21 between the rings 30' to accomplish the purposes of said pins.

Obviously, according to any of the forms of the invention, the air flow regulating disks, instead of being of flat, conical or other straight wall form may be of spherical or other curved wall form.l i

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor deltails of construction may be resorted to, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An air outlet device comprising an openended hollow flaring member, means for connecting the rear or'smaller end of said member to an air supply duct, at least one smaller flaring member spaced inwardly from said flrst mentioned ilaring member to provide within the device at least one open-ended ilaring passageway for flow of supplied air through and from the device, a fixed slotted disk formed integrally with the rear end of said ilrst mentioned flaring member and extending across the rear end of said passageway, and a cooperating slotted disk mounted 'for rotatable adjustment to aline and disaline its slots with and from the slots of said fixed disk, thereby to regulate flow of supplied air to said passageway.

2. An air outlet device as set forth in claim 1 in which the disks are of conical form.

3. An air outlet device comprising an open.

Y mentioned flaring member to provide within the device at least one open-ended flaring passageway Vfor flow of supplied air` through and from the device, a ilxed slotted disk extending across the rear end of said passageway. said disk having a marginal forwardly opening channel, a sealing ring disposed in said channel, a second slotted disk disposed in front of said fixed disk and having its marginal portion disposed in sealing engagement with said sealing ring, and means mounting said second slotted disk for rotation to aline and disaline its slots with and from the slots of said fixed disk, thereby to regulate flow of supplied air to said passageway.

4. An air outlet device comprising an openended hollow flaring member, means for connecting the rear or smaller open end of said member to an air supply duct, at least one smaller flaring member spaced inwardly from said first mentioned flaring member to provide within the device at least one open-ended flaring passageway for flow of supplied air through and from the' device, a. cross bar extending from side to side of said first mentioned flaring member through and across said smaller flaring member and fixedly connecting said flaring members together, a fixed slotted disk extending across the rear end of said passageway, a cooperating slotted disk mounted for rotatable adjustment to aline and disaline its slots with and from the slots of said fixed disk,v

thereby to regulate flow of supplied air to said passageway, an operating shaft for said rotatable disk disposed axially'of the device and fixed at its rear end to said rotatable disk and journaled in said cross bar, and a handle on the front end of said shaft exposed at the front end of the device for 'manipulation to rotatably adjust said shaft and thereby rotatably adjust said rotatable disk.

5. iAn air outlet device.y comprisingan openended hollow flaring member, means for connecting the rear or smaller end of said member to an air supply duct, a second hollow flaring member closely nested in said first mentioned member, at least one smaller flaring member fixed to and spaced inwardly from said second mentioned flaring member to provide within the latter member at least one open-ended flaring passageway for flow of supplied air through and from the device, a disk extending across the rear end of said first mentioned flaring member and having slots therein for flow of supplied air to said passageway, a disk carried by and extending across the rear end of said second mentioned hollow member and also having slotsA therein for flow of supplied air to said passageway, and means mounting said second mentioned flaring member for rotation relative to said first mentioned flaring member relative to said first mentioned disk to aline and disaline the slots of the respective disks and thus regulate flow of supplied air to said passageway.

6. An air outlet device as set forth in claim 5 in which the first mentioned flaring member is provided with a marginal channel accommodating the marginal portion of the second mentioned disk whereby the second mentioned disk is retained in assembly with the first mentioned disk and is mounted for rotation with respect thereto.

'7. An air outlet device comprising an openended hollow flaring member including a cylindrical neck integral therewith and extending rearwardly from the rear or smaller end thereof, at least one smaller flaring member spaced inwardly from said first mentioned flaring member to provide at least one open-ended aring passageway for flow of supplied air through and from the device, a slotted disk at the rear end of said neck integral therewith and extending across the rear end of said passageway, and a cooperating slotted disk mounted for rotatable adjustment to aline and disaline its slots with and from the slots of said fixed disk, thereby to regulate flow of supplied air through said passageway.

8. An air outlet device comprising an openended hollow flaring member including a cylindrical neck integral therewith and extending rearwardly from the rear or smaller end thereof, at least one smaller flaring member spaced inwardly from said first mentioned flaring member to provide at least one open-ended flaring passageway for flow of supplied air through and lfrom the device, a slotted disk at the, rear end of said neck integral therewith and extending across the rear end of said passageway, said disk having a marginal forwardly opening channel, a sealing ring disposed in said channel, a second slotted disk disposed in front of said fixed disk and having its marginal portion engaged -with said sealing ring, and means mounting said second slotted disk for rotation to aline and disaline its slots withA and from the slots of said fixed disk, thereby to regulate flow of supplied air to said passageway.

9. An air outlet device as set forth in claim 7 in which the slotted disks are of conical form.

10. An air outlet device comprising an openended hollow flaring member including a cylindrical neck integral. 'therewith and extending rearwardly from thel rear end thereof, a second cylindrical neck'within and closely fitting said first mentioned neck, a slotted disk integral with and extending across the rear end of said rst mentioned neck, a second slotted disk integral with and extending across the rear end of said second mentioned neck and disposed closely adjacent to said first mentioned neck, at least one smaller aring member spaced inwardly from said first mentioned flaring member to provide at least one open-ended flaring passageway for flow of supplied air throu-gh and from the device, and means .mounting said second mentioned neck and disk for rotation to aline and disaline the slots of said second mentioned disk with and from the slots of said rst mentioned disk to regulateflow of supplied air 'through said passageway.

l1. An air outlet device comprising an openended hollow flaring member including a cylindrical neck integral therewith and extending rearwardly from the rear end thereof, a second cylindrical neck within and closely fitting said first mentioned neck, a slotted disk fixed with'l respect to and extending across the rear end of said first mentioned neck, a sec-ond slotted disk fixed Iwith respect to and extending across the rear end of said second mentioned neck and disposed closely adjacent to said first mentioned neck, at least one smaller flaring member spaced inwardly from said rst mentioned flaring member to provide at least one open-ended flaring passageway for flow of supplied air through and from the device, and means extending outwardly from the front end of said'second mentioned neck in underlying closely adjacent relationship to and rotatably mounted upon said first mentioned flaring member to support said second mentioned neck and disk for rotaton to aline and disaline the slots of the disk thereof lwith and from the slots of said first mentioned disk, thereby to regulate flow of supplied air through and from said passageway.

, FRANZ J. KURTH.

FRIEDRICH HONERKAMP. BENNO POETEN. HERBERT K. KUNEN. 

